When Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria, Ill., presented Pope Benedict with two thick volumes about the life of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the pope surprised him by saying he had worked with the late archbishop.

San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer called a proposed ban on circumcision that qualified for the Nov. 8 ballot in San Francisco "a misguided initiative" and "an unconscionable violation of the sanctuaries of faith and family" by the city.

In building a world of peace and justice, the Catholic Church must listen to the ideas and hopes of young people and offer them educational opportunities that will strengthen their ability to work for the common good, the Vatican said.

Because it acts in the name of the Catholic Church in promoting development and helping the needy, Caritas Internationalis must be guided by bishops and the official teaching of the Church, Pope Benedict said.